DETROIT, July 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Launching on July 2nd, the Statue of Liberty timepiece collection is an opportunity for Shinola to shine a light on the many people who have spent a great deal of time and effort to wear the moniker of American citizen, and to invite us all to re-examine our perception of the term "immigrant." With this project, we hope to echo what Lady Liberty herself has always stood for—freedom, hope, and eternal welcome to those who come to America from abroad.

"As American as they come” can come from anywhere. Watch the full film on Shinola.com/Liberty

Launching on July 2nd, the campaign will break with a full-page ad in the New York Times, the ad headline reads "As American As They Come Can Come From Anywhere."

Two timepieces, created in partnership with The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., are part of the sixth installment in our Great Americans Series, a collection of limited-edition watches honoring figures who have helped shape our culture and made a lasting mark on American history. This year we celebrate the Statue of Liberty, a universal symbol of freedom, diversity and democracy, the core values of our country.

"At Shinola, we support diversity within our communities and in our American workforce," said CEO, Tom Lewand. "We welcome these newest citizens because with each new perspective, America grows stronger and more whole. We see it every day in our company. We've seen it in this country for nearly 250 years. We're a better nation because of it."

"The Statue of Liberty was built as a monument to the freedom of individuals," said Stephen A. Briganti, President and CEO of The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. "During our nation's peak immigration years she greeted millions as they entered New York Harbor on their way to Ellis Island and a new life in America. In the years since, the Statue of Liberty has grown from a national monument to a global icon recognized the world over."

On June 15th, 2018, Shinola welcomed more than 100 new American citizens at the Moynihan Courthouse in New York City after a naturalization ceremony. We captured stories about the journey to American citizenship. As a show of welcome, we gifted some of the newly naturalized citizens our flagship timepiece, the Runwell, packaged in a box with the phrase, "From this second forward, you are as American as the rest of us."

Transforming our Runwell for the latest release in our Great Americans Series, we crafted two timepieces that truly pay homage to the Statue of Liberty, a monument that— for more than 100 years—has reminded us what America stands for.

A select group of citizens were interviewed, filmed, and appeared in portrait photography to showcase the range of stories that make up our immigrant population.

The film, "From This Second Forward," was directed by Danny Clinch, a legendary photographer and director based in New York City, whose wife recently became a U.S citizen.

The campaign is a celebration of ten newly naturalized citizens of the United States. Through intimate interviews in their homes and in their neighborhoods, a warm welcome after the naturalization ceremony, and a celebratory boat ride around the Statue of Liberty, we came to know their journeys to get where they are today and their hopes for where they will be tomorrow. Separately, they are people with different countries of origin, professions, ethnicities and backgrounds, but together they stand--committed, driven, giving, and inspired--as a reminder that great Americans can come from anywhere.

Launching on July 2nd, the campaign will break with a full-page ad in the New York Times, the ad headline reads "As American As They Come Can Come From Anywhere." "From This Second Forward," will run online and on Shinola's social channels.

The collection's unveiling coincides with For Lady Liberty (ForLadyLiberty.org), a month-long crowdfunding campaign being led by The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation to help build the new Statue of Liberty Museum. Scheduled to open in May 2019, the museum will celebrate the Statue of Liberty's story, explore how she has evolved from national monument to global icon, consider the concept of liberty, and be the new home for her original torch. For Lady Libertycelebrates the legacy of an 1880s fundraising effort by publisher Joseph Pulitzer that inspired thousands to support the construction of Lady Liberty's pedestal in exchange for printing the names of donors in his newspaper and is considered America's first crowdfunding campaign.

About Shinola

At Shinola, we've made a lasting commitment to making lasting things. World-class watches, beautiful leather goods, high-integrity audio, thoughtful gifts, and soon, a hotel. If it's made, we want to try to make it better. With relentless optimism, tenacity, humor, and humility, we help people shine in an understated way. We are charged up by our communities and do our best to give more energy than we take.

About The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.

The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization established in 1982 to raise funds for and oversee the historic restoration and preservation of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. In collaboration with the National Park Service/U.S. Department of the Interior in what has become the most successful public-private partnership in U.S. history, the Foundation has raised nearly one billion dollars. In addition to restoring the monuments, the Foundation created museums on both islands, The American Immigrant Wall of Honor®, the American Family Immigration History Center® and The Peopling of America Center®, which in 2015 transformed the museum on Ellis Island into the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. The Foundation is now overseeing the fundraising and construction of the new Statue of Liberty Museum scheduled to open in May of 2019. The organization's endowment has funded over 200 projects that support of these national treasures.